Post

I rarely write about Homer, being daunted by the topic, but since the poet is having a moment, here's a piece about the alphabet, writing, and their absence in the epics. Inspired by a chat with @viewsproject.bsky.social, I hesitantly suggest a theory for that absence. dannybate.com/2026/07/24/h...

dannybate.comHomer’s ABCsOr: Why don’t people in the Iliad and Odyssey write anything down? Sing, goddess, of how Homer is all the rage right now. My timelines have become streams of Nolan-inspired analyses, hot takes and …

Dr Danny Bate

@dannybate.com

The dauntedness derives in part from the mass of relevant literature on Homer, and partly from a difficulty in keeping track of chronology – much like watching some Christopher Nolan films. The feeling was validated by an insightful (and damning?) comment that arrived shortly after posting:

24/7/26, 3:07 pm2 reposts26 likes

Dr Danny Bate

@dannybate.com

25 July

As another example of personal Homeric confusion, I recently received some interest to write about Homer's dialect for a popular magazine. After a day's preparatory research into the topic, I'd forgotten what my original point was. The article remains unwritten.